


The Way It Used To Be

by Two_Divided_by_Zero



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-11 07:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7035049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Two_Divided_by_Zero/pseuds/Two_Divided_by_Zero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>It had been three years.  Three long years since he had last shared a laugh with his then best friend. </i>
</p><p> </p><p>When Xander announced that they would be visiting Hoshido for a month, Leo knew it had to be fate's way of saying that he needed to make amends with Takumi for what happened the last time they saw each other.  So much time had passed, he knew it would never <i>truly</i> be water under the bridge.</p><p>All the same, he had to try. It was the very least Takumi deserved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm here; you're there

**Author's Note:**

> Title was taken from the Pet Shop Boys song of the same name.
> 
> This is unbeta'd, so if you see any glaring issues, please let me know? 
> 
> Thank you in advance!

Leo honestly believed after the war had ended that he would never have any reason to visit Hoshido again. Xander was becoming a wonderful king, fair and just. Tensions between the two kingdoms were finally beginning to die down in the wake of the two kings’ friendship. There should have been no reason for the prince to ever leave his home again.

Hoshido and Nohr were formalizing their armistice with a signed document on the anniversary of the war’s end. All royalty were to be present.

Elise had been thrilled (to put it mildly). She had given a shriek of delight before promptly dragging Effie off to help her pack. Princess Sakura could no doubt bid farewell to any plans for solitude for the next month.

Camilla, mature elder sister that she was, had simply nodded her acquiescence. Renounced title or not, she had mentioned feeling obligated after having participated in the war. Leo honestly envied her then for so many, many reasons.

When Xander had turned to lay eyes on him, Leo knew it was inevitable.

And that was how he found himself traipsing horseback through the Hoshidan countryside, occasionally being stopped by gawking farmers and curious children.

‘I don’t want to be here,’ he thought for the upteenth time.

Odin rode past, spouting some nonsense about the sky and how it beckoned forth demise or...something of the like. Honestly, Leo was hardly listening.

It had been three years. Three long years since he had last shared a laugh with his then best friend. 

_“What were you thinking?!”_

Just remembering it made something curdle in his stomach, viscous and sour. Several tiny insect legs skittered beneath his skin and _oh gods could they even get past that?_

Leo missed his best friend. 

Niles was definitely giving him a suspicious look at this point, but Leo couldn’t find it in himself to care. Oddly observant that he was, his retainer would’ve no doubt caught onto his off mood eventually anyways.

Tiny flowers began dotting the roadside, serving as a reminder that the caravan was well into Hoshidan territory. Dainty and delicate, they seemed to sway mockingly in the breeze. “We’d never survive in the darkness of your home,” they seemed to say, “nothing beautiful could ever come from there.”

Was it too late to turn back? There was no need for a Nohrian prince when there would already be a Nohrian king present to discuss the treaty with.

Even Odin had shifted in his saddle to give Leo the most conspicuous look over in history at this point. Both his retainers were concerned, of course they were _they were his friends_ , but they could never know. Better to just put his best foot forward, force a smile and sally forth.

After all, what other choice did he have?

* * *

_They were on the fringes of the celebration and Leo couldn’t help but remember how the crickets hummed, how the air smelt faintly of flowers in bloom, how the dozens of lights in the air seemed to individually catch in Takumi’s hair. Giddiness caused Takumi’s voice to lilt when he wasn’t busy snickering into his hand._

_There were stars in the sky and stars in those bright eyes._

_How had it all gone so wonderfully, fantastically wrong?_

(Leo sometimes wondered if he was seeing the past through rose-colored lenses. The night couldn’t have been **that** idyllic, they couldn’t have been that happy. Deep down though, he knew doubt was just a coping mechanism. It was all true.)

_They had been on a veranda. Neither was particularly fond of conversing with strangers or large crowds and had mutually made their way as close to freedom without actually leaving as possible._

_One moment, they had been discussing something Leo read in a book recently. An idea that, “there are as many emotions as there are stars in the sky. I think it’s a metaphor of some sort.”_

_The next...well…_

_In hindsight, he shouldn’t have avoided Takumi so religiously the next day. All day, he fought a losing battle against cowardice every time he saw the other prince in the halls. One glimpse of him and Leo would turn tail and run whichever way he came, resulting in him about facing directly in Ryoma once._

__Gods _how he must have hurt Takumi. Ignoring him would have been kinder than this blatant rejection. He knew this,_ better than anyone else _, he knew what he was doing. But still..._

_The Nohr royal family ended up returning home without Leo and Takumi speaking again. Bile sloshed through his belly and Leo spent the entire return trip in fear of vomiting._

_Pride cost Leo the best friend he had ever known in his life. It seemed fitting punishment._

* * *

“Good evening, King Xander. I trust that your journey here was a safe one?”

“It was and I thank you for the hospitality, King Ryoma.”

Both elder brothers stared at each other with such solemnity before simultaneously bursting into laughter. Any and all tension instantly evaporated as the Nohrian royal family entered the courtyard of Castle Shirasagi. Seeing the two laughing together like old friends (old war buddies?) was a physical reminder of the peace shared between the two countries.

Ryoma reached over to wrap his knuckles on Xanders shoulder, laughing good naturedly and earning a few looks from the guards. They no doubt placed their king on such a high pedestal that it was a shock seeing him act human.

Camilla and Leo both followed several paces behind, watching Elise trail after their eldest brother and fidget like a puppy. Reinforcing the puppy comparison further, she let out a delighted yelp at seeing Sakura peeping through the castle door. Next to him, Camilla let out a little, “aww” at the way Elise launched herself onto the other princess and smothered her with a hug.

“Elise!” Xander chided mildly before sighing. Next to him, Ryoma guffawed. 

“Sakura has hardly been able to sit still all day,” he said while wrapping an arm around Xander’s broad shoulders. “You should’ve seen her face when we told her Elise would be attending as well. She near spilled her entire breakfast into her lap!”

Xander cocked an eyebrow, as though to say ‘truly?’, before smiling and shaking his head. “Ah, I suppose it’s alright then. Pray tell, how are your other siblings faring?”

That question earned a grimace from the other king. “I informed them both this morning that you would all be arriving around this time today. Hinoka no doubt got held up at the stables. As for Takumi…”

 _Takumi._ Leo felt a tiny wave of nausea at hearing his name. As though sensing his distress, Camilla reached over and silently took his hand. With a gentle squeeze and a smile, she nudged him into following their siblings inside the castle. 

“It’s quite alright.” Ever the diplomat, Xander was. “If our families wouldn’t mind, perhaps we could take some time to rehash some of our previous discussion regarding the trade routes past Nestra?”

With Xander and Elise now both occupied (poor Princess Sakura could barely get a word in before being dragged along some hallway in her own castle), Leo and Camilla were left on their own. 

They remained in comfortable silence before Leo cleared his throat. “Camilla?”

“Yes?”

“I-I...I wanted to thank you.” What an utter embarrassment; he couldn’t even say this simple sentiment without stuttering.

“Hm? Whatever for, dear brother?” She gave his hand one last squeeze before releasing it. “I’m feeling a bit tired after that trip. If it’s quite alright with you, I think I might inquire as to where we will be staying.”

“Of course. Rest well, sister.”

As she sashayed off to find an attendant for directions, Leo decided to find his retainers and explore outside a little. There would be plenty of time to scan through Hoshido’s library during their stay and his legs were honestly a bit sore from the prolonged ride. 

He stepped outside just in time to see Niles stuff an apple in Odin’s mouth before shoving a piece of luggage into his arms. The rogue paused upon seeing him before blowing him a kiss. Odin, slightly cross-eyed from staring at the apple, briefly glimpsed his face before waving like an overly excitable child.

What a spectacle his retainers were and Leo could scarcely imagine it any other way.

* * *

Odin declined joining his lord in exploring the castle, choosing instead to continue unpacking and setting up his room for the night. On the other hand, Niles was all to eager to spout some suggestion about Leo wanting to spend time alone together before leaving all the work for the other retainer.

Fools. He was surrounded by fools. Leo wouldn’t have it any other way.

It was as they were passing a large courtyard that Leo saw him.

If not for his hair, Leo would not have recognized the man surrounded by what seemed like the legion he had read about in religious mythology. They swarmed and writhed like a living entity, murmuring and gasping amongst themselves, “the general’s blade work truly is something else,” and “

“To think Prince Takumi is this fierce with a blade. Can you even imagine how terrifying the king must be on the battlefield?” (Leo bit back a wince at that last statement; after all this time, people were still making unfair comparisons **placing him in Ryoma’s shadow**. Didn’t they realize Takumi was an extraordinary person in his own right-?)

His thoughts were derailed by a shrill whistle at his side; Niles leered as a particularly spectacular maneuver from the general - ‘Takumi,’ he corrected internally - swept the cadet off his feet and into the dirt. His sword was sent flying. The soft ‘shick’ of metal across the ground was audible over the hush that befell the crowd. 

Hinata HAD once mentioned that Takumi trounced him rather quickly in a duel, but this…?

“Who’s next?”

The general - ‘Takumi, it’s him and you know it’ - turned to the rest of the cadets while still brandishing his blade. 

Gone were the furs and colorful robes he wore previously; Takumi looked resplendent even in the traditional whites and blues of the Hoshidan army uniform. He blended in seamlessly, not flaunting his status as general with any garish accoutrements that some of the Nohrian military favored. 

That old nausea from before returned with a vengeance. Gone was the unsure prince from before, gnashing his teeth and snarling from the shadow of his older brother. In his place was a man, facing down his fellow troops with squared shoulders and a defiant stare that broadcast confidence.

It felt as though hundreds (thousands?) of birds suddenly took wing in his heart; he had always known Takumi had the potential to be great, to surpass his brother. His pulse was a hummingbird, fluttering uselessly inside his rib cage.

The other prince had truly come unto himself in the three years since they had parted. The tragedy lay in the fact that Leo had been absent to watch the metamorphosis take place.

( _He could see it; the two of them poring over racks upon racks of weaponry in the armory late at night after the guards had gone to sleep. Leo would offer to brew tea to sooth the ensuing blisters, reminding Takumi that the tannins in the tea would help toughen his skin and **it’s going to sting so grit your teeth.** Takumi would wince and snarl, clenching his hands and no doubt bemoaning his perceived inferiority. However, as the days went by, he would begin to see improvement little by little and his best friend would be beside him the whole time to say ‘the only one who never believed in you was you,’ and Takumi would **smile** \- _) 

Leo mourned the lost opportunity.

Back in the present, Takumi continued sweeping the crowd for any young upstarts looking to make a name for themselves in the Hoshidan army. There were always a few foolhardy kids, drunk on misplaced courage and fueled by the encouragement of their peers. 

Xander had taken on his share of soldiers at the end of the war. Leo could still remember watching from a distance and his brother took down wave after seemingly endless wave of enlisted boys. The rumors that King Garon’s son was soft still persisted to this day, but they greatly dwindled after Xander’s performance that day; a general who wasn’t afraid to lead from the front was the be feared indeed.

“Milord, it seems we have an audience.”

Niles’ amusement was palpable and at first, Leo couldn’t understand exactly what had his retainer sounding so positively _giddy_ before he noticed.

Takumi was staring from across the field.

(It was probably a good thing he didn’t notice Niles’ coquettish wave at his side, waving each finger individually like a courtesan trying to gain the attention of a passerby.)

“Well?” 

Leo’s silver tongue fell silent in his mouth in the face of such...such _fire_. Takumi must truly hate him and he deserved that hate and so much more for what he’d done.

_Hatred, betrayal, disgust; he deserved it all and more._

The legion parted, the gaping maw of the beast beckoning to him. At the center, Takumi glared unblinkingly.

_Despite everything, his heart fluttered. Stupid, traitorous thing that it was._

It was with a heavy heart he stepped forward, walking past goggling teens barely old enough to enlist. A few whispered amongst themselves in awe of seeing two princes and former war allies spar.

Once he was within ten paces of the other, Leo bowed his head ever so slightly. “It is good to see you once more, pri-”

“Fight me.” A sword was tossed at Leo’s feet and he frowned in confusion.

“...Excuse me?”

Takumi sneered without a trace of mirth. “That’s funny, I don’t remember you being deaf. Oh, how things can change in the span of a few years.”

By now, their audience had begun muttering in confusion. Weren’t they allies? Weren’t they _friends_?

The blade was delicately nudged away with his boot. “I didn’t come to fight you.”

“Are you afraid, little prince?” Takumi’s tone was full of vitriol and venom. Every word was carefully calculated to sting. _Good, he deserved all this and more._

“There’s a difference between being afraid and being unwilling.”

“Is that so? Very well…” Takumi loosened the ties holding the scabbard at his waist before handing his blade off to a nearby soldier. “Now will you face me?”

Frustration was beginning to set in. “Why are you being so obstinate?”

“Why are you trying to avoid me?” It was almost imperceptible, but Leo caught the tiny wince Takumi made, as though his own words stung him. He had a feeling that last comment wasn’t just with regards to sparring.

‘Ahh…’ Would this bring him some sort of closure? Leo doubted it, but he was through with running away from Takumi. His best friend didn’t deserve it then and he surely didn’t deserve it now.

“Will this make you happy?” Niles was likely the only one to hear him. Shaking his head to dispel such thoughts, Leo sighed in resignation. “If this is truly what you want, far be it from me to deny you any longer, Prince Takumi.”

Surprise briefly flitted across Takumi’s face before he smirked and dropped into a more offensive stance. “There is nothing I want more than to show you how I’ve grown since we last met.”

Leo had scarcely a moment to react before a hand shot forward at his throat.

Hoshidan combat, Takumi had once explained in hushed tones over a chessboard, was about withstanding anything that the opponent could throw. If the body was tough enough, the soul hardened enough, it didn’t matter what an opponent did. Hoshidans faced their opponents head on, he explained with reverence. There was no honor in retreat.

Experiencing Hoshidan hand-to-hand combat firsthand now, Leo understood. Every step Takumi took was forward. Even when Leo managed to land a rather solid kick to his thigh, Takumi didn’t so much as flinch backwards. Rather, it was Leo who had to duck back to avoid a well-aimed elbow to the face.

(He’d once overheard some troops talking about body hardening. ‘You beat yourself,’ one explained as straightforward as though he were discussing the weather, “Day after day, you beat yourself until one day, you stop feeling it. Your body becomes numb to the pain.”

“You’re crazy!” Someone chimed in and Leo couldn’t help but agree with them at the time.)

Under the watch of hundreds of eyes, Prince Leo of Nohr ducked his head and tackled Prince Takumi to the ground. It was undignified and perhaps a bit underhanded, he could admit, but the blood roaring in his ears drowned out the lingering worries of ‘what if word gets out that Nohr sent their prince on a diplomacy mission and the first thing he did was start a physical altercation with the younger prince? Oh, the scandal!’

Leo couldn’t care less about scandal and, judging from the way he was digging a fist into Leo’s diaphragm, neither could Takumi.

“Pull his hair, milord!” A quick glance over confirmed that Niles was sporting a rather large grin, no doubt viewing the whole situation as comical. There were a few astonished gasps, but he remained unphased. Niles truly was unflappable.

Takumi faltered enough at Niles’ taunt for Leo to wrap his legs around his opponent’s midsection. His retainer leered at the new position, but it was hard to focus on anything other than Takumi suddenly bringing his hands to Leo’s hips and _squeezing_.

His fingers, archer’s fingers, dug in right above his hip bones and Leo’s instincts screamed at him to make it stop. It was tempting to drop his legs, but that would mean surrendering the dominant position and he just couldn’t do that.

Ignoring the pain in his hips, Leo brought an arm up and around his opponent’s neck. He pulled Takumi in close, a mockery of a lover’s embrace, and used the sudden shift in their weight to roll them over. 

Takumi hissed as one of his wrists was crushed under their combined body weight. He now lay with his back in the dirt, defiant even in a position of submission.

(It must’ve taken all of Niles’ admittedly limited self-control to refrain from making a lewd comment about their positions. Leo was eternally grateful.)

“Well, _general_?” Leo made sure to emphasize the title. “Do you surrender?”

Takumi snarled and attempted to jostle Leo off by bucking his hips, ultimately being his downfall. The space he created allowed Leo to shift their positions just enough that he was now straddling Tamuki’s back.

A quick shift brought his left arm straight across the base of Takumi’s neck, while its mate wrapped across his throat to grip his elbow. With his legs wrapped firmly around Takumi’s midsection, Leo lightly tensed the muscles of his right arm. For a moment, Takumi went dreadfully still. The message was delivered loud and clear.

“It looks like I win again,” Leo grinned, subtly shifting his ankles to dig into the meat of Takumi’s thighs. It was undoubtedly painful, but his opponent hardly flinched. 

In an absurd way, Leo was proud.

“Burn in hell, _filth_ ,” Takumi hissed.

“My, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” _No no no_ , this wasn’t what was supposed to happen. His usually glib tongue was rapidly escaping him and - “Apologies, I meant _did_ you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Everything was going from bad to worse at lightening speed and even _Niles_ was frowning in disapproval at this point, but Takumi had always had a talent, a knack, for drawing out the absolute best and **worst** in him-

One second, he had the Hoshidan prince turned general wrapped in a blood choke. All it would take is one flex of the muscle, one clench of his fist, and Takumi would be unconscious in a matter of seconds. The next…

Rage truly was a miraculous thing.

The whole world seemed to take on a hazy quality as Leo found himself in almost the exact position Takumi had just been in, only the other seemingly had no intention of just stopping at a submission. Paralyzed by shock, Leo could do nothing as dots danced at the ends of his vision. The world turned hazy, like an underdeveloped photograph.

‘He truly intends to…?’

Air whooshed uselessly back into his lungs (Takumi always was a quick study, but it appears the finer points of Nohrian combatives escaped him; the point of a blood choke was the cut off the supply of blood to the brain, not constrict the airways). Niles was in front of him, brandishing a hunting knife the length of his forearm while Takumi thrashed uselessly. Several trainees had stepped forward to restrain their general, sharing nervous looks over his shoulders. (‘Do Hoshidans issue court martials to their troops? Would that even apply in a situation like this?’)

“Prince or no,” Niles cooed in a tone belying his true intention, “the next time you lay another finger on my lord like that, you may find yourself learning to hold your weapon with a few less fingers.”

(“Can he speak to a prince like that?” “Quiet, unless you want him to cut off your tongue along with the general’s fingers!” “Do you think he’d really do it?” “Do you really want to find out?”)

Takumi suddenly deflated, all prior vim and vigor leaving with one great _whoosh_ of a sigh. 

Leo took no joy in the grimace of defeat on Takumi’s face. This was so wrong; none of this was meant to happen. They were meant to talk, perhaps less than civilly at first. There would be some initial hostility, transitioning to hostility; they had parted on less than ideal terms, after all. However, Leo had held the utmost faith that they could overcome their past differences and reconcile. Days, weeks, months, Leo was prepared to wait _years_ for Takumi to forgive him because he was _worth_ it.

“I kissed _**you**_ with this mouth.”

It was spoken quietly in resignation, but to Leo, Takumi may as well have shouted it to the heavens with how it echoed in his ears. 

Takumi left, quiet susurrus following in the wake of his departure.

At that moment, Leo truly truly doubted there was anything left to salvage of their relationship at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the readers who made it to this point, thank you very much and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! This should hopefully only be about 5-ish chapters, assuming my ideas don't run away from me too much...
> 
> (To the person who caught my other Tales of Zestiria reference, DID YOU CATCH THIS ONE? >:D Expect more where that came from!)
> 
> Completely honest here, I'm a little terrified of committing to anything multi-chapter. I have everything planned out in my head and even partially outlined, but I'm just terrified I'll hit writers block or just lose inspiration. I get discouraged pretty easily (I know one person in particular who can vouch for that and tell you exactly how many times I threaten to delete everything.)
> 
> For you, my lovely readers, I promise to do my best to not just give up on this fic! 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are the light of my life. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me reading all the wonderful things you've said and just seeing the emails from this site with kudos. Some comments I've read :'D would you believe I tear up a little? I love _love_ **LOVE** reading comments from you all! Thank you to anyone and everyone who left kudos or dropped me a line. I wouldn't write if not for you!
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you all in the next chapter? :D


	2. Come Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished this chapter and just in time! I'll be honest, it was starting to run away from me quite a bit! 5k words... oh my gosh. I'm still trying to recover from Akon AND Fan Expo and then to come home and write... ^^" This is probably the longest thing I've ever written.
> 
> Did I mention I type all these on my phone? Yea-hah, funny story...
> 
> One more chapter until Takumi shows up! I honestly cannot wait to write their interactions. Expect some angry, bitter sniping in the next chapter! (it was going to be in THIS chapter... but 5k!)
> 
> This is also unbeta'd as hell. So, if you see something, say something! (-b^_^)-b

As Leo walked through the halls of Castle Shirasagi, he could feel all eyes lingering on the redness of his neck. Maids paused in their cleaning, none-too-subtly gawking and whispering amongst themselves. Had there been a fight? Or, perhaps...something more scandalous?

It didn’t help that all the while they tittered amongst themselves, Niles remained an unshakeable presence at his back. Though he remained outwardly silent, Leo could hear his thoughts buzz like angry bees inside his head. Droning and humming, they were only barely contained. No doubt, as soon as they were free from prying eyes, his retainer would turn.

It was to be expected; it wasn’t often that Prince Leo kept a secret (much less as gossip-worthy a secret) from his retainer. Just because it was anticipated, did not help the anxiety slowly souring his stomach.

‘I should have never returned to this gods-forsaken country. I should have never sought him out. This must truly be a record number of mistakes in such a short period of time…’

A flash of yellow caught his attention further down a hallway in the eastern wing. Odin was marching resolutely with a case, mouth moving rapidly. If Leo were a betting man, he would place money that his retainer was rambling nonsensically to himself about ‘paying his obeisance to the specters of warriors past infusing the castle.’

He paused mid-step, managing to swivel on the ball of a foot without even the slightest wobble. “Milord! 

“Odin,” Leo acknowledged his retainer with a curt nod. “Have you finished unpacking yet?”

Odin pinched his lips in a frown before crossing his eyes, no doubt eyeing the luggage in his arms. ‘Of course.’ “That was a ridiculous question, I apologize. Please disregard that.”

“Apologize not, milord!” Odin boomed, somehow managing to adopt a more dramatic pose even without the use of his arms. “The idea that anything you query about could be seen as ridiculous is truly the ridiculous notion!”

“Odin.”

Niles sauntered up from behind Leo and Odin gave him a conspiratorial look. They then both silently stared at each other in the middle of the hallway; it almost felt as though the two were sharing an unspoken conversation, which was equal parts fascinating and irritating.

Apparently having reached a conclusion, Odin bowed his head before jostling the contents of his arms a little. “I will finish delivering these accoutrements to your room post haste, milord Leo, after which your weary bones may find rest within these chambers.”

Leo cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms, giving both retainers an expectant look. Niles looked unruffled, practically preening under his lord’s scrutiny. On the other hand…

‘I’ve never seen Odin move so fast outside of battle in my life.’ One second, the mage had been in the hallway. The next, he was halfway down the hallway with his cargo lumped haphazardly in a corner.

For a habitual lollygagger like Odin, it was completely and one-hundred percent suspicious behavior.

A mellifluous sound met his ears as they walked through the door and Leo was dismayed to find it was Niles _humming_. It was almost chipper sounding, which was not a word he would commonly use to describe his retainer.

‘This must be how it feels to be a sheep,’ he mused, glowering as Niles strutted past. ‘A simple sheep, blindly following a goat right into the slaughterhouse.’

Perhaps it was denying the inevitable, but Leo took a little more time than was necessary to slide the door back into place.

The instant it slid completely shut, “interesting choice of words by our _charming_ Prince Takumi, wouldn’t you say, milord?”

 _Sigh_. “Out with it, Niles. If you’ve something to say, please say it; I am far too weary from today’s events to beat around the bush.” 

Niles cocked an eyebrow (it never stopped being disconcerting seeing that fine line rise above his eye patch; something about it was just jarring and the dastard _knew it_ ) before sitting in seiza at the small table. The eyebrow remained arched in a subtle suggestion that Leo take a seat as well.

Silent though it may be, some might protest that a retainer ordering their lord around might be seen as impudence. As Leo took his seat, he could not help but be grateful for the sort of relationship he shared with both his retainers; blind followers would be much less amusing than one half-blind and one might-as-well-be-blind-at-times follower. 

Once he finished smoothing the wrinkles from his pants, it was Leo’s turn to cock an eyebrow in askance. “Well?”

“If I might be so blunt, _milord_ , what exactly was Prince Takumi’s comment in reference to?”

“You may not.” Lax customs and courtesies aside, there were still some secrets that Leo would prefer to keep as just that. _Secret_.

“Forgive me,” Niles intoned with nary a hint of sincerity to be found; his prince scowled briefly at such flippant sarcasm. “Am I allowed to enquire as to whether this is at all related to the lack of communication between yourself and the little prince?”

Just like that, Leo was reminded of the way Takumi’s entire face crumpled in agony that night. Hoshido’s younger prince was finally learning to truly _smile_ ; even if they tended to wobble a little at the edges, Leo found the few true smiles he caught on Takumi’s face to be _breathtaking_. To see that timid happiness so thoroughly squashed by his own actions…

_He truly was taken with the younger prince, even back then. Why then? Why didn’t he-?_

“Y-you are,” he cursed the slight stutter, “and it is.”

“I see…”

“Do you really?” Regret hit him instantly; from the smug expression on Niles’s face, he probably saw a lot more than Leo wished him to. The inside of his cheek stung from where he bit it to avoid frowning, which would only confirm his retainer’s suspicions.

It still stung and what better way to fight hurt than with more hurt?

Normally he was more composed than this. It’s just...whenever the topic of discussion turned to his past friendship with Takumi… ‘ _It’s true what they say; you’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life_.’

No doubt sensing the heavy mood that draped itself over his lord like a woolen shawl, Niles reared back as though struck. Hands gripped the fabric over where his heart would be (if he had one) accompanied by a faux gasp. “Why milord, was that comment aimed at my eyesight? If so, I can assure you…”

His voice dropped down several octaves into a breathy growl, “I only have eyes for you.”

As Leo sputtered and flushed in indignation and outrage, the rogue merely rocked back on his heels with a self-satisfied grin. The tension was officially broken. “A thousand apologies, might I amend my previous statement? I only have ‘eye’ for you.”

Perhaps tacking on the salacious wink at the end was a bit too much, judging from the way Prince Leo’s face took on a pleasant cerise shade? Niles shrugged; life was too short for regrets.

“N- _Niles_!” 

_Ahh_ , low hanging fruit; teasing Leo was far too easy at times. “Apologies, milord. I suppose one might say I just enjoy _getting a rise_ out of you.”

Purple was definitely not a healthy color for a face to turn. Perhaps he should call Lady Elise? “ **Niles!** ”

Recognizing that the threshold for teasing had been met, Niles moved to lean against a wall. It was best to give his liege some space to recover for a moment.

Once his face returned to a normal, pale shade, the younger prince began quietly, “have you perhaps heard of the concept of a sunk cost?”

"Hm?" Niles hummed before plopping himself down on top of the desk (and ignoring his lord's wince as several trade agreements crumpled). "Can't say that I have, milord."

" That's to be expected, really..."

When an explanation didn't appear to be forthcoming, Niles shifted enough the audibly wrinkle a few more documents. Once he had Leo's attention, he wove a lackadaisical curlique in the air with his hand. _Go on._

 _Hmph._ "To put it simply, it is an investment that has already been made and cannot be returned. They are independent of any cost that may be incurred in the future. So say, for instance, we were to take a look at the letter currently being crumpled under your left thigh.” 

Niles gave absolutely no indication at understanding this subtle complaint, prompting an exasperated sigh. "In any case, the author of that letter is bemoaning their decision to invest in the production of military weaponry. Their decision was not entirely irrational; it has been said that the greatest financial decision a country can make at times is to go to war."

An ugly sneer made its home on Leo's face, twisting his face into a truly _disgusted_ expression. _To think that lords and nobles could sit down and decide to throw away their constituents lives in exchange for coin; it was truly loathsome_. "All the money invested into such efforts became a sunk cost; they were no longer capable of being refunded once spent.”

“And therein lies the fallacy…”

A sigh, seemingly as deep as the sea, escaped him as Leo took a seat on the foot of his bed. “A common sophism is measuring one’s current satisfaction based on the loss of a sunk cost. Take, for instance, that musical Elise insisted on attending last winter.

Even his ever-unreadable retainer couldn’t hide his wince at remembering that little debacle. Between the actors constantly stumbling on their lines and the singers being just shy of the proper pitch on a few notes (“She sounds more like she’s being gutted alive, milord.”), it was truly a test of endurance to sit through the entire performance.

“Yes, well, that is an excellent example. You yourself told me during the intermission that we had already suffered through the first half, we might as well slog through the second half at this point. In this example, the sunk cost isn’t so much monetary as it is chronological. While it is true that we did in fact purchase tickets for that _monstrosity_ , that which we placed the most value in was our time spent mourning the gradual deaths of our eardrums. By thinking in terms of our sunk cost (the time we’d already spent), we actually harmed ourselves more than had we simply left Elise to wallow alone.”

“Touché, my lord.”

Leo flashed him a smug little grin before fading into a more melancholic expression. “For all my supposed brilliance, I have fallen victim to such simple chicanery far more often than I’d like to admit,” what followed was obviously meant to be a chuckle, but ended up sounding forced and self-deprecating. “To measure one’s current happiness based on the past… I know it’s foolish. _I know it_. And yet…”

No doubt important papers fluttered to the floor as Niles finally extricated himself from his perch atop the prince’s desk. He stopped a few paces away before dipping down to one knee.

“If your kinship with Prince Takumi was the price, then what was the reward?”

Even with the atmosphere as tense as it was, Leo couldn’t help but scoff. “I’ve told you before, Niles, to not waste my time asking questions you already know the answer to.”

 _Smirk_. “Apologies.”

“Could you at least _try_ to sound a little more sincere?” Though chiding, there was little to no bite in this statement. After all, Leo didn’t want to completely squelch his retainer’s character. Niles’s cheekiness and seeming lack of respect for his station was grounding at times; it reminded him that he was prince of Nohr second only to being a human being, flaws and all.

For a few moments afterwards, a stifling silence fell over the two. Leo couldn’t help but fidget slightly with the edges of his sheets while his ever-observant retainer pretended not to notice his unease. Niles was eventually the one to break it.

“What do you intend to do now?”

“ _Not let go_.”

“Pardon, milord?”

“Ah,” Leo coughed lightly and shook his head, as though to banish the previous thought, “n-nevermind.”

There were so many things he could’ve said then; gods knows he would give anything to be able to just spill all the tumultuous thoughts in his head out for all to see. _It would be so easy…_

“It’s a lovely day outside. Pity we don’t have more weather like this back in Nohr.”

‘ **Coward**.’

In the end, though, Leo wasn’t brave enough to own his past mistakes. For all that Niles looked disappointed, no one was more disappointed than Leo himself.

“Indeed, milord Leo.” Just like that, the discussion was closed.

* * *

There was nothing quite remarkable about the next three days. King Ryoma was unexpectedly drawn away from the castle to settle a land dispute from a poorly written will (“You should just take Raijinto and threaten to scorch the whole area, just like the fable! Whichever brother looks most upset was the one who truly deserves it!” “Hinoka, sister, I do not think that a viable option…”), leaving the Nohr siblings free to do as they wished.

To no one’s surprise, Elise squealed in delight at the news. Breakfast was instantly forgotten in favor of grabbing Sakura’s hand and twirling the confused girl in a circle. Elise’s excitement was infectious; even the normally serious Hinoka couldn’t hide her smile at the two girls’ antics.

Takumi adamantly refused to make eye contact with anyone at the table. Even as his younger sister giggled and his elder sister engaged Camilla in a quiet discussion about the difference between lancefaire and ax wielding, Takumi stared into his bowl as though it held the answer to the universe.

(Given his love of miso soup, there is a small possibility that it does. In the past, Leo would’ve teased Takumi over this and earned some spluttering and blushing. Somehow, he suspected this new Takumi would not find it nearly as amusing.)

“...isn’t that so, Leo?”

“What?”

Elise smiled cheerily at her elder brother, ignoring the way he scowled over the rice now spilled on the table. It wasn’t often Leo got so caught up in his thoughts that he was caught unawares and she was honestly having a hard time not giggling. Sakura, still holding the other princess’s hand, bit her lip politely to keep from laughing as well.

Camilla had no such reservations; she chuckled demurely and cooed over the embarrassed flush slowly coloring his cheeks.

Even Xander, ever the stoic, chose then to dab his face with a napkin to hide a small smile. 

‘ _Et tu_ , brother?’

Distracted as he was by cleaning up the mess he made of breakfast, Leo did not miss the way Takumi scowled at his family’s antics. He simply placed his utensils down, stood up and left.

So busy paying attention to Leo’s blunder, even Takumi’s own sisters didn’t comment on his departure. Shouldn’t they at least have noticed his sour disposition and asked what was wrong? Did they not see, or did they not care?

(In hindsight, Leo would regret how angry he felt towards the Hoshidan princesses just then. It was so obvious they adored their brother, surly though he may be. After swallowing his pride, Leo was able to admit that he had been projecting his own regrets onto them.)

The younger prince was drawn from his rather dour musings when one of Elise’s pigtails brushed his cheek. His younger sister now propped her head on his shoulder, observing his clumsy attempts to brush the grains back into his bowl. “Wow, and you always called _me_ a sloppy eater!”

“Elise!” Sakura chided, pulling gently at her friend’s hand. “Maybe if you hadn’t startled him…”

“You’re taking his side?! No~!” 

Once again, Leo felt the gentle brush hair against his face as Elise stood to face the Hoshidan princess. “Sakura~! You’re supposed to take _my_ side!”

“A-ah, w-w-well…” (It was a little funny the way she stuttered more than usual from Elise flailing their connected arms.)

“Oh wait!” 

Elise finally released Sakura’s hand (poor girl) to turn on her brother once more. “As I was saying earlier, Sakura’s busy today with her tutor. You wouldn’t mind going into town later with me, right Leo?”

Truthfully, he would. Though limited, Castle Shirasagi’s library still had a rather impressive amount of books he had yet to explore. Hoshidan history, sciences, culture… Leo had already spent hours perusing the collection and had barely made a dent.

Still…

Putting on his best indulgent smile for his (best) sister, Leo nodded. “Certainly, Elise. I would be glad to accompany you.”

Elise’s face instantly lit with a smile as she bounced for joy. “Yay! Thanks, big brother! You’re the best-ah! I mean, big brother Xander and Camilla are too, of course!”

“There there, dear. It’s alright, you won’t hurt our feelings. After all, Leo is a rather adorable brother at times, isn’t he~?” Of course Camilla chose to chime in and tease him now.

“ _Big sister!_!”

Blissfully oblivious, Elise nodded vigorously as her pigtails bounced. “He is! Even Sakura thinks so! Isn’t that right, Sakura?”

In response to being put on the spot, Sakura gave a timid ‘meep’ and ducked behind her friend; she wasn’t quite able to prevent the entire room from seeing her crimson cheeks. Judging from that reaction, Leo was willing to wager that his sister was _not_ supposed to mention that out loud.

Maybe it was a little vain, but he hoped she didn’t have a crush. Sakura was such a sweet girl, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings (the way he’d hurt her brother’s). 

On that note, Leo didn’t feel much like eating anymore. He scooted away from the table, drawing Elise’s attention away from her still blushing friend. “Oh, are you full already?”

“I’ve had enough,” _which wasn’t technically a lie_ , “so I was going to return to my room. If I may be excused?”

Though he looked concerned, Xander nodded his consent.

“Very well then. Thank you very much for the meal.”

Leo stood, gave a tight bow and made for the door. 

“...Leo?”

‘Ah, right.’ “Come by my room once you’re finished, Elise. We can head out then.”

“Hee hee, yay! Thanks, Leo! You really are the best!” Leo smiled once before before retreating back to his room to think.

* * *

It was on their way back from town that he overheard it. Elise was skipping ahead a few paces, twirling in circles every once in a while to show off the flowers now woven into her hair. Hoshido’s citizens were exceedingly pleasant and all too willing to regale the Nohrian siblings with stories and cultural knowledge. Leo was astonished to find himself surrounded by citizens in the town square, being chatted up so casually while children gathered flowers to braid into his sister’s hair. It was refreshing and unexpectedly enjoyable.

They were passing by the training grounds, no doubt en route to finding Sakura. Leo was trailing behind, flanked by his ever-present guardians, when he heard muttering. “It’s hard to respect someone after seeing them get dominated like that, you know?”

“He’s a prince, is it any surprise that when all is said and done, he’s a piss poor fighter?”

 **That** had Leo’s attention. His sudden halt drew Elise’s attention. “...Leo?”

“Go on ahead, Elise.” It wasn’t certain, but if Leo was correct, then he couldn’t just ignore what he heard.

“...You’re sure?”

“Milady, did not you and the lovely princess of Hoshido have a picnic planned? It would be in poor taste to be late!” Odin attempted to reassure Elise, which only served to make her laugh at his overly flowery way of speaking. “Fear not, sweet princess, for we shall ensure your brother’s wellbeing.”

She chewed her lip thoughtfully and frowned before nodding. “If you insist. I expect to see you later though!”

With that, Elise bounded off and left the three behind. Once she was out of earshot, Niles turned to face Leo. “Am I correct in assuming you heard that as well?”

It seems as though frowns had made his face their perpetual home ever since arriving in Hoshido. “You are. For now, let us-”

One voice, louder than the rest, rose up and had Leo seeing red. “The only reason he’s in charge is because he’s royalty. Even then, he’s a pretty pitiful prince; everyone knows that King Ryoma only appointed him this position to keep him out of court. Rumor has it the only reason he is tolerated in court is because of his royal blood.”

Rumors and slander, that’s all it was. Still…

Protectiveness reared up inside him at the insults being lobbed at Takumi when he couldn’t even defend himself. Who did these _children_ think they were, insulting their very own prince like that? It was sickening how little respect they held for him. Takumi had more than proven himself worthy of his title in the war; who were they to weigh and measure him when they themselves were only safe in part because of him?

Odin chimed in then, interrupting his bitter train of thought. “What would you have us do?”

Rather than answer, Leo stormed over to the group of thirty-or-so men and crossed his arms. “Who among you were just insulting Prince Takumi?”

It took a few moment for the shock to fade and grumbles to begin. A fresh-faced male leaning in the shade of a tree rolled his eyes and glared. “Stay out of this! It’s none of your business!”

That was apparently too much disrespect for Odin to just ignore. “Do you peons not comprehend who it is that stands before you? My venerable lord, the prince of Nohr who doth walk the gloaming! Prostrate yourselves before him!”

A few soldiers eyed Odin with equal parts confusion and consternation. Once the initial shock wore off, the sparks of defiance lit in a few of their eyes. 

One particular boy stepped forward from a gaggle, slightly younger than Leo himself had been when he fought for the glory of his country. ‘A pity…’ “Do you have something to say?”

“Our general may be soft, but I don’t understand how any warrior of Hoshido could lose in combat to a scrawny weakling like you,” he scoffed with disdain more than exvident in his tone of voice. Though young, he already possessed the broad shoulders and muscular physique only gifted to one who prided themselves on their training. 

Judging from his cocky stance and commanding voice, this trainee viewed himself de facto voice of the masses.

 _Ahh, to be young and foolish_. “Niles?”

“Milord?” Leo saw the boy’s lips curl in disgust at the way his retainer practically purred.

“Pray tell, what was the duration of Prince Takumi’s and my sparring session?”

 _Smirk._ “Why milord, I was rather _preoccupied_ -”

“ _Niles._ ”

“Roughly ten minutes and forty-seven seconds,” he drawled with an appraising look, “give or take about three seconds.”

 _Were his objectives truly that transparent? Niles_ knew _, how could he not with the way he was downright leering at Leo at this point. “If this is how you want to play,” his eyes seemed to say, “then, as always, I will have your back.”_

A scoff interrupted his thoughts. “Does that include when our prince nearly choked the life out of your scrawny neck-what?!”

Flames suddenly manifested at the young man’s feet, lapping at his ankles and singeing the edges of his hakama. A rustle of pages to his left identified the culprit as Odin, who had cracked open a fire tome.

Leo had never seen his retainer so _agitated_ before in his life. “Mayhaps you weren’t listening earlier, miscreant. Milord Leo is the prince of the noble country of Nohr and an ally to your Hoshido. He fought the noble war against a hoary deity that sought the decimation of the world. If you choose not to pay deference for his actions then, at _least_ hold him in the same reverence you would any other military leader.”

The tome was snapped shut, but Odin’s point had already been made. Several other trainees had taken steps away from the upstart in question, no doubt fearing that they may receive the same (if not worse) treatment.

Still smoking slightly, his opponent found his feet and jeered silently. It looked as though he still had some fight left in him, even after Odin’s warning. 

“If you are quite finished angering my companions, I am ready whenever you wish to begin.”

Unsurprisingly, the boy charged Leo almost instantly. Being a little on the bulkier side, he easily knocked the prince down to the ground. A modest chorus of cheers rose up from the other trainees at their comrade’s seeming advantage.

Almost exactly when his back was about to hit the ground, Leo wrapped his legs around the boy’s waist and braced for the impact. He wouldn’t lie, even to himself, about how much being forced to the ground by this gangly teenager stung. Pain arced up his spine and it would no doubt be bruised later.

(He must be getting soft from all these years of peace; traditional Nohrian training required blood to be shed.)

‘Alright, now let’s see…’

Before the boy could bring an elbow down into his face, no doubt intending to break his nose, Leo slung his right arm across his neck and _yanked_. Taking advantage of his opponent’s confused floundering, Leo then reached up, collapsed his opponents left elbow with his right hand, and caged it along the side of his body.

A collective gasp rose up from the audience while Odin crowed some proud declaration about his lord’s prowess in battle.

‘Next, drop the left leg and sit up towards your left side…’ Xander’s voice echoed dimly in his ears. Patient and calm, his elder brother always had been an excellent teacher in the art of combat. ‘Then, drop your right arm, reach over your opponent’s arm.’

He easily laced his right arm under the boy’s armpit, tightening his hold against the frantic squirming that resulted. Even while his opponent panicked, Leo kept a level head. He gripped his left wrist with his right hand and barely hid a smirk. For not having practiced with Xander for a month or so, it was astounding how quickly combatives came back to him.

The trainee squirmed fruitlessly and Leo was almost tempted to ask where all his previous fire had gone. Instead, he wrapped his left leg tighter around his opponent’s midsection and twisted until he had the boy’s wrist trapped against his back. 

Leo sincerely hoped the boy wasn’t too prideful to tap out.

All it took was a sharp pull - ‘paint their wrist across their back’ as Xander had said - and the boy _screamed_. The tap to his thigh was more of a firm swat, no doubt due to the panic and pain.

Clearly the victor of this skirmish, Leo went limp to free his opponent. The boy scuttled backwards through the dirt, gawking with wide eyes and a pale face. Silence filled the courtyard, only broken by Odin’s rather enthusiastic applause.

Once Leo found his feet, he made a show of brushing the dirt from his clothing. Every eye followed the action, no doubt still in awe. It was increasingly difficult to maintain a facade of cool indifference without breaking into a smirk.

Once he was suitably dusted off, Leo turned towards his retainers. “...Niles?”

“One minute,” he lilted in sadistic glee, “and thirteen seconds.”

“You were simply _astonishing_ , milord Leo! Why, is that a new record?” Odin could barely contain his enthusiasm over Leo’s victory, all but bouncing on the balls of his feet.

(Scratch that, Leo definitely noticed a few tiny bounces. His retainer was so excitable at times, like a small child; it was rather endearing.)

Both retainers receive a grateful smile before Leo plastered on a grave expression and turned to address their audience. “Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge his record?”

“Very well, then I will only say this once; this is the military, not a popularity contest. Those who preside over you did not simply wake up one day and decide to become officers in your army. They have served their country for years and proven their valor and dedication in war, _including your general_. I won’t claim to understand Hoshidan military traditions, but in Nohr, behavior such as what I have observed is not only completely unacceptable, _it is treasonous_.” He paused for moment to let that last thought truly sink in. “Our countries may be allies, but if this is how you would behave towards your own commander, I shudder to think how you may act under my own command, or that of my brother the king, in a time of war.”

With that, Leo gestured to both of us retainers and began walking towards the castle. Odin and Niles lagged behind slightly to give one last hard look to the awestruck crowd before trailing after their lord.

Once they were safely out of earshot, Odin couldn’t help but exclaim, “Milord-ah, you were just… it was-!”

“I believe,” Niles interrupted smoothly while placing a hand over Odin’s still-moving mouth, “what he’s _trying_ to say is congratulations, milord.”

Barely intelligible, Odin flailed his arms and shouted, “yes, that!”

Leo flashed them both a grateful smile, fully prepared to thank them for their continued support, before he stepped on a crevasse. The misstep caused pain to shoot up his spine from where he had fallen only a few minutes ago. Futilely, he hoped neither of his companions noticed.

Of course, both of them were now giving him concerned looks. ‘Damn it all.’

“Milord, are you still injured from that ruffian’s underhanded tactics? Mayhaps we should pay a visit to the charming Princess Elise to request her aid in ameliorating your pain?”

Once in the shade of the castle’s roof, Leo leaned up against a pillar to regain his breath. Adrenaline still filled his veins from his earlier stumble, but it was not enough to completely mask the pain at the base of his spine. “Thank you for your concern, but I assure you it is fine.”

Niles scoffed. “You’re limping. Don’t think you can hide it; I can spot a limp from any distance.”

(That was an innuendo, wasn’t it?)

Just over Niles’s shoulder, off on the other side of the courtyard, Leo accidentally made eye contact with a pair of amber eyes. ‘Oh no…’ “I told you, I’m fine.”

“You’re certain?” Leo knew they meant well, _truly_ , but right now his friends’ concern was nothing but a nuisance. He’d make a mental note to apologize later to them both for being short later.

With a great deal of power of will, Leo forced his feet forward and willed himself not to limp. Futile though it may be, he had to try. “I’m certain. Now, shall we head inside?”

He could feel those lovely eyes boring holes into the back of his head the entire walk back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who made it to the end!
> 
> Okay, first of all, some comments. In chapter one, I actually received a comment about their fight at the end. Everything Leo and Takumi do is actually based on real military combatives being taught at officer training, which are in turn based off of Brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts. In fact, this carries over to this chapter as well! Leo actually uses a real submission, called a 'kimura' to restrain his opponent. I might reference military combatives again later on as well, so I hope it wasn't too confusing! Also, if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask them!
> 
> Second, sunk cost is a completely real economic concept. Do you want to see the sunk cost fallacy in action? Watch an episode of Deal or No Deal. One day, I'll stop making Leo go on nerd rambling... today is not that day and tomorrow doesn't look any better.
> 
> Third, my goal was to get this chapter out today because I actually start T-6 training tomorrow, so I can kiss all my lovely free time goodbye! :'D That said, I will do my absolute best to update weekly. Not going to let this fic die! Must...fight...the laziness!
> 
> Now, saving the most important for last, I CANNOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR THE KUDOS AND COMMENTS AND JUST EVERYTHING! You don't want to know how often I've been checking my email this past week, you really really don't. Just know all your support means the world to me! I cannot thank you all enough, truly! (though I'm debating opening up drabble requests as thanks.) How is it so many awesome people read what I wrote? :'D I can't even... I've even seen a few other users on here I recognize and just :'D I am not worthy. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
> 
> Before I start gushing too badly, thank you all once again for sticking it out another chapter! As always, comments and kudos make the world go 'round (and make me grin like a crazy person when I read my e-mails at work :D) and I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN IN CHAPTER 3!


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